New weapon type: the need for a mid-ranged melee weapon.

[Jayswagwolf212]

        Grounded offers a plethora of craft able items and weapons, including hammers, blades, axes, spears, and more. Although there are many options to choose from when deciding your loadout, it doesn’t feel as though there is much diversity between them. I find most weapons feel repetitive and often just feel like reskins with small variations in stats, so I would like to suggest an entirely new category of weapon. My suggestion for a weapon is a flexible weapon such as a real life meteor hammer, rope dart, or chain blade, there are possibilities for new movesets and combos as well as unique customization options for players, this weapon could be obtained as a boss item and there can be varying styles with different functions, these functions could be a defense based weapon where you can spin the weapon and absorb incoming damage but it has a lower damage output and takes time to spin up, as well as a crowd control variation that can bind enemies so your coop partner can deal damage with low risk (the binding effect would have a cooldown much like the stun effect and the user wouldn’t be able to attack while binding). Flexible weapons could also inflict different damage types based on what is attached at the end, the bladed version could be crafted with mandibles or something similar to the mantis claw and inflict slashing damage. This would also fit the assassin style of the mantis due to chain blades historical use by assassins in feudal Japan. There would also be a version crafted with a blunt object such as the black ox horn that would inflict busting damage and serve as a meteor hammer, as well as a rope dart variation crafted with a fang or needle that would inflict stabbing damage.

 

     I think this would be an exciting way to make gameplay and combat more complex and interesting for players and diversify the available play styles. 
 

    Below I have attached photos of the real life counterparts these weapons can be modeled after.

rope dart:

Chain blade:

Meteor hammer:

 

     Please consider my request as there are many possible implications and balances to make this a viable weapon choice.